This archipelago - surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits - is claimed in its entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. All five parties occupy certain islands or reefs.

Geography

Spratly Islands

Location:

Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines

Geographic coordinates:

8 38 N, 111 55 E

Map references:

Southeast Asia

Area:

total: less than 5 sq km
note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea
water: 0 sq km
land: less than 5 sq km

typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals

Environment - current issues:

NA

Geography - note:

strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs

People

Spratly Islands

Population:

no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states (July 2002 est.)

Government

Spratly Islands

Country name:

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Spratly Islands

Economy

Spratly Islands

Economy - overview:

Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored, and there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed.

Transportation

Spratly Islands

Waterways:

none

Ports and harbors:

none; offshore anchorage only

Airports:

4 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Military

Spratly Islands

Military - note:

Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam

Transnational Issues

Spratly Islands

Disputes - international:

all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands, but has not publicly claimed the island; in 2000, China joined ASEAN discussions towards creating a South China Sea "code of conduct" - a non-legally binding confidence building measure